Multicolor chromosome bar codes

Chromosome bar codes are multicolor banding patterns produced by
fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with differentially
labeled and pooled sub-regional DNA probes. These molecular
cytogenetic tools facilitate chromosome identification and the
delineation of both inter- and intra-chromosomal rearrangements. We
present an overview of the various conceptual approaches which can
be largely divided into two classes: Simple bar codes designed for
chromosome identification and complex bar codes for high resolution
aberration screening of entire karyotypes. We address the issue of
color redundancy and how to overcome this limitation by
complementation of bar codes with whole chromosome painting probes.
Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel